AUSTIN, Texas – Ballet Afrique Contemporary Dance Company will present Duke Ellington's The Nutcracker to a sold-out crowd at the McCallum Arts Center Friday.
- First time the dance company is using a live band
- Ballet Afrique founded in 2008
- All shows are sold out
The show is a collaboration with the Austin Community College Jazz Ensemble. It marks the first time the company relies on live music for a production of the holiday classic. Founding Executive Director China Smith said dancing to live music will take the performers to another level.
"As an African dancer, dancing to live drums gives a different feel," Smith said. "I'm excited to add that component to The Nutcracker for us."
Dancers rehearse for the performance of Ballet Afrique's "The Nutcracker."(Ashley McElroy/Spectrum News)
Smith first founded Ballet Afrique in 2008. As an Austin native, she felt the community was missing a creative outlet for young, black dancers. She saw an opportunity to provide ballet classes in East Austin so those young dancers would have a chance to show off their talents. Ballet Afrique is the first Austin ballet company featuring a black ballerina en pointe.
"It was my mission to bring the arts here in Austin that I felt would impact our community," Smith said.
Parents who've watched their kids grow through the program have seen the results first hand. BADAC's Communications Director Kimberly Eboreime's daughter has been in the classes since they began.
"I loved how she would do circle time and would talk to all these little brown girls in a circle and they would talk about their hair and their skin," Eboreime said. "What other dance company are you going to go to and get that?"
Ballet Afrique's performance of The Nutcracker at McCallum Arts Center on Friday is sold out. They perform the show two more times next Saturday at the George Washington Carver Museum. Both of those shows are also sold out.
